Laurie Hernandez’s Perfect Tango Routine Boils Down To This Classic Mexican Dish

Laurie Hernandez is a force to witness on the dance floor, especially after landing her first perfect score on Dancing with the Stars. 

With her dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy by her side, the Olympic gold medalist took to The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week to share the secret behind her sassy routines now that she is the undisputed frontrunner for the crown.

Wow. @iamvalc and I got our first PERFECT 10’s on #DWTS ! S/o to Val for helping me every week with choreography that is literally a master piece. You taught me that it’s not just about my dance but the feeling that comes with it. I want to thank the MJ One Cirque show and their artists for helping us channel our inner MJ’s and being a part of our dance. BIG thank you to the Michael Jackson estate for approving the song for us to use today; and thank you @tracyshibata for doing my routine and sending it so I could learn it on the road!! Thank you all for the support, and please don’t forget to vote?? 18008683407

A photo posted by Laurie Hernandez (@lauriehernandez_) on Oct 3, 2016 at 9:59pm PDT

Since she has never experienced romance firsthand, the 16-year-old shares she turns to the unlikeliest of sources to channel her inner sexy. “I sleep with a teddy bear at night,” she told the crowd. “I’ve never had a boyfriend.”

To help Laurie get into character, Chmerkovskiy added that the duo references everything from The Notebook to Finding Nemo to evoke emotion, but the ultimate impetus to her standout tango performance boiled down to a staple Mexican dish. “I was like, I have to channel me smelling a quesadilla right before I get up there,” she continued. “That’s the only way this is going to work.”

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Very interesting to say the least, but whatever works, right? See Laurie and Val relive their performance below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OXq5PjP-Jkg